Latin pop star Ricky Martin is set to receive an award from a top US gay and lesbian organisation, after revealing that he was gay last year.

The organisation, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (Glaad) gives the Vito Russo award once a year to gay entertainers, who help promote equal rights.

“Ricky coming out was a game changer for many gay and transgender Latino children,” Glaad said.

“For too long, [they] did not have many out gay people to look up to.”

Ricky Martin is due to receive the award at a ceremony to be help in New York next month,

Kristin Chenowth, an Emmy and Tony award winner, will also be honoured after criticising a Newsweek article that claimed gay actors could not play straight people convincingly.

Glaad president Jarrett Barrios said, “When allies like Kristin take such powerful stands against anti-gay sentiments in the media, it sends an important message of equality,”